Paper-cup holder.



'- C. ERRETT.

PAPER CUP HOLDER-l APPLICATION HLED Nov. 7. |916.

1,280,692. Patented oct. 8, 1918.

EETTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES ERRETT, 0F NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO PUBLIC SERVICE CUP COMPANY, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

PAPER-CUP HOLDER.

To all whom z' may concern.'

Be it known that I, CHARLES ERRETT, a subject of the King of Great Britain, and resident of the city of New York, in the State of 'New York, United States of America, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Paper-Cup Holders, of which the `following is the specification.

"This invention relates to improvements in paper cup holders, and the objects of the invention are to provide a simple and effective form of container for paper cups which will permit the number ot cups in the con` tainer to be readily observed and permit only one cup to be withdrawn at a time.

Further objects are to provide such a -cating still another alternative form of retaining means;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of another alternative form of retaining means.

Fig- 6 is a. sectional View indicating another form Of ret51}ing` means.

In the drawings like characters of reference .indicate corresponding parts' in the several figures.

' their rims will project outwardly at the bottom of the stack as shown.

C` represents the cover or top portron closely surrounding and adapted to telescope Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 8, 1918.

upon the container A. The top cover is also cylindrical in form and is either wholly transparent or formed with a transparent cap l1 as shown, which ma for instance, be formed of transparent Cellu oid. This transparent portion and the cap .permits the num- .ber of cups within the container to be readily observed. Celluloid when used in the cover has the advantage of being light and eXible. It is also repellent t0 moisture so that the moisture from the room in which the container is placed will not condense on the cover to contaminate the same.

It will also be noted that the cover and container may be telescoped together to correspond with the height of the stack. To relieve the pneumatic pressure produced when the cover and container are telescoped together, an yair hole l2 may be provided in the cap 11 or at any other convenient point.

Means are provided at the top of the container whereby the stack will be freed or released from the uppermostand outermost cup when the same is withdrawn by a erson desirous to use the same. A considera le variety of means may be used for this purpose. In Figs., 1 and 2 I have shown a plurality of circumferential slots 13, provided around the periphery of the container near the top thereof, in which slots an elastic band 14, is adapted to lie. To prevent this band from projecting outwardly from the periphery of the container, an annular groove 15 may be provided `in theperiphery of the container to receive the band.

In using the container, the person desirous of obtaining a. cup, first removes the cover portion C, then grasps the upperniost and outermost cup On the stack and raises the same. The rim on the cup will engage the elastic band 14, and will cause the operator to move the cup' slightly laterally or oscillate the same in order to disengage the same from the band, whereupon the band will engage the rim of the neXt -cup and lso retain it and prevent the stack being w-ithdrawn with the cup. The elastic will also serve in assisting to return the stack to its normal position.

In Fig. 3, tongues 17 and 18 are'provided on opposite sides of the container, sli htly staggered with respect to each other, w ereby the cup must be tilted slightly before withdrawal.

ido

In Fig. 4 a semi-annular `spiral wire 19 is provided on the inner Wall of the container. This Wire or rib Will necessitate slightly tilting of the outermost cup before removing.

In the form shown in Fig. 5 the staggering ratchet teeth 20 and 21 are provided on opposite sides.

In Fig. 6 a plurality of inwardly bent spring tongues 22 are provided for the same purpose.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently Widely different embodiments of my invention Within the scope of the claims constructed, it is intended that all matter contained in the accompanying specification and drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limited sense.

What I claim as my invention is:

l. A holder for paper cups and the like, comprising a container formed with circumferential slots, an elastic extending in said slots adapted to engage the rims of the cups placed in the container.

2. A holder for paper cups and the like, comprising a container'having an annular groove in the Wall thereof` and circumferential slots in the groove and an elastic extending in the slots adapted to engage the rims of 'the cups placed in the container.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of tvvo Witnesses.

CHARLES ERRETT.

Witnesses:

FREDERICK L. HACKENBURG, MAE ANDERSON. 

